Viral Hepatitis
Hepatitis A, B, and C
Characteristics of Hepatitis Viruses
| Characteristic | Hepatitis A | Hepatitis B | Hepatitis C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission Route | Fecal-oralFecal-oral | Infected needle or blood, sexual contact | Infected needle or blood, sexual contact |
| Incubation Time (acute infection) | 15-50 days | 45-160 days | 14-180 days |
| Onset | Sudden | Either sudden or slow, unnoticed | Usually slow, unnoticed |
| Severity | Mild | Occasionally severe | Usually slow-developing and symptoms not specific or strong |
| Chronic form? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Associated with other diseases? | None | Liver cancer, cirrhosis | Liver cancer, cirrhosis |
| Testing to Diagnose Acute Infection | HAV-Ab, IgM | HBsAg, Anti-HBc, IgM |
Anti-HCV, HCV RNA (note - may have same results as in chronic hepatitis) |
| Testing to Diagnose Chronic Infection or to Monitor Treatment | N/A |
HbsAg, HBV DNA, HBeAg, anti-HBe | Anti-HCV (once) HCV RNA or viral load, HCV genotype (once) |
| Tests that detect previous infection | HAV-Ab, IgG | Anti-HBs, Anti-HBc total | Anti-HCV |
| Vaccine available? | Yes | Yes | No |
| Common treatment | None | Chronic form - Interferon, lamivudine, adefovir | Chronic form - Interferon (usually with ribavirin) |
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Abbreviations Defined HAV-Ab = Hepatitis A Antibody
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